Players are en route

Hey everyone. Though the magic of Twitter, we know that Auburn players have been making their way to Tampa today.

Guard Byron Isom used his travel stipend to buy a first-class ticket from Atlanta to Tampa. He arrived this morning.

Wideout Terrell Zachery (and a few others) bummed a ride with tight end Gabe McKenzie. They drove through Tallahassee and arrived in Tampa around 2:30 p.m. CST.

Walt McFadden drove north from his pad in Pompano, Fla. He arrived around 3:30.

The Tigers still are arriving at the Hyatt Regency. The players' first official function is tonight when they're invited to attend a Tampa Bay Lightning game. Auburn begins practice tomorrow around 10:15 a.m.

SCHEDULE NOTE: The HABOTN Reporting Team will be making its way toward Tampa on Sunday.

12.25.2009

Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday

Hey everyone. Christmas morning has ended, which means I now can post on the HABOTN without guilt.

I hope you have a swell day. At least it's not raining.

My big gift was a Wilson Evolution basketball, indoor ball, real leather, necessary because the YMCA people choose to spend annual fees on new centers in different parts of town. That means the Bell Road branch gets neglected. Do I sound bitter?

Is it true? I'll call Thig, but don't expect to hear anything substantive about this until the Outback Bowl stuff gets into swing on Dec. 26 or 27.

For those who don't know, Thigpen is a critical (central?) component of the Tigers' recruiting enterprise. He's a main contact for most big-name prospects and I'm certain that Gene Chizik would work to keep Thigpen on the Plains if it came to that. More money? A new Pez dispenser? A bigger coaching role? You name it.

Back to the note from footballcoachscoop.com, I think I know who will get that job if it comes down to Thig and Willie Martinez. I'd say one resume is significantly thicker than the other.

12.22.2009

ASU at Auburn men

Hey everyone. Welcome to Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, where a crowd of approximately 1,200 is watching this puppy live.

FINALAuburn wins, 94-78.

FOURTH TIMEOUT @ 3:29, 2nd halfAuburn leads, 80-67. Still pretty lackluster. Auburn is better in transition and has connected on a few more shots. That's the difference. Neither of these teams are very good. Just being real with you.

SECOND TIMEOUT @ 11:51, 2nd halfAuburn leads, 62-53. Well, the Hornets are shooting well now. They have hit threes on three consecutive possessions. Auburn's transition defense is all out of sorts. You have to think the Tigers will pull this one out ... but that doesn't mean they're good. Yucky.

FIRST TIMEOUT @ 14:36, 2nd halfAuburn leads, 56-41. Tay Waller has eight points this half already. ASU has eight. I'll say this about Waller: He's the worst bad-shot shooter I've ever seen. He's always leaning one way or the other. It's cringe-worthy stuff -- but he connects on a lot of them. I don't know how he does it.

STATS OF NOTE*Alabama State hit 2-of-14 from long range. Yummy.

*Auburn hit 15-of-18 from the free-throw line.

*Alabama State has 12 offensive rebounds. Auburn has one.

*27 fouls called.

HALFTIMEAuburn leads, 46-33. Awful basketball.

FOURTH TIMEOUT @ 3:54, 1st halfAuburn leads, 36-21. Auburn is playing better in transition, slicing through a confused ASU defense for easy baskets or free throws. It's pretty simple. The Hornets can't shoot at all from the three-point range. Can't wait to see those numbers. They are stinky.

SECOND TIMEOUT @ 11:39, 1st halfAuburn leads, 18-12. Horrible basketball. Both teams are taking awkward shots (ASU's are worse) and committing silly fouls. There have been 15 fouls called already. Sloppy all the way around.

FIRST TIMEOUT @ 15:52, 1st halfGame tied at 8. Sloppy. Auburn already has fought over a ball and lost it out of bounds, allowed two awful offensive rebounds and basically seems tired. I don't know why. Long way to go here, though. ASU is probably sloppier, but they're hitting some shots.

12.21.2009

Your Auburn update, 12/21

Hey everyone. Auburn's final legit home practice has ended. Some stuff was discussed. Let's talk about it.

Reserve fullbacks John Douglas and Jason King (a walk-on) were arrested separately on suspicion of DUI recently. Douglas was arrested on Dec. 5. King was arrested last weekend.

Gene Chizik said the players have practiced "some," but said they will not be available for the Outback Bowl. Neither player has accrued meaningful statistics this season.

``Without going into detail of circumstances, they have been suspended from our football team at this point," he said.

The so-called recruiting "dead period" began Sunday morning and runs to January 1. Coaching staffs are banned from face-to-face contact and are permitted one phone call per week to prospects.

``I think we’re sitting about as good as we can be sitting with most of the guys we have left out there that we’re recruiting," Chizik said. ``It’s a period of time where they get a little reprieve and a little break from all this but we’re going to continue to recruit them hard within the rules, whatever we’re allowed to do with our one phone call a week."

Auburn coaches will take Dec. 24 and 25 off before re-convening in Tampa on the 26th. `` It’s family time and they need a break," Chizik said. ``We all need a break."

12.20.2009

Basketball roundup

Hey everyone. The Auburn men lost to Sam Houston State this afternoon at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

You read that correctly.

The Bearkats hit 58 percent of their shots from the field, including a 15-of-28 performance from three-point range. Forward Gilberto Clavell scored 34 points.

``It's obviously a frustrating game," Auburn head coach Jeff Lebo said. ``They came in here and just punched us in the face, and we didn't respond. Offensively, they were so good. Clavell just manhandled us. He absolutely hammered us, and we didn't have any answer for him."